When we're old
by Writer207
Summary: "I've been thinking." He'd practiced this moment for a long time. "We never really could grow old together. It just wouldn't be possible, you know, different times and all, but maybe… maybe we could be old together. If you want to." (just a little bit of Amaya/Nate)


**When we're old**

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Nate Heywood strolled down the dirt road, which was not easily distinguishable from the tall brown grass that made up the African plains. He adjusted the shoulder straps of his backpack so it'd sit better. Behind him, an engine roared and the aircraft lifted from the ground. He did not turn his head to watch, but he did look up at the clear blue sky. The Waverider disappeared, jumping back to… Nate did not know, but it was going to the future.

They had not accidentally left him behind. He'd become too old to do this kind of job, anyway. No, he'd asked them to drop him off here. The current Legends, especially a forty-year-old Sara, wished him all the happiness and agreed. But not before Gideon calculated whether his absence from the timeline made any major changes to the future, or whether his journey to the past would become problematic in the long run. Both searches ended up negative – the timeline would remain largely unchanged.

It was comforting to know you did not matter enough to make major changes to the timeline. The weight and importance of your life, the burden of knowing you are meant for greatness in some way, it would be unbearable. No, he'd leave the life of fame and recognition to Steel, the Legend – Nathaniel Heywood was more than happy with an ordinary life after leaving the Waverider.

At the end of the road, two women stood in the shade of a small group of trees. Both dark-skinned, both dressed in typical Zambesi attire. They could easily pass for mother and daughter. The older one waved her hand, urging the other to leave. The younger walked away, but her steps suggested she was still hesitant. The older woman stepped out of the trees' shadows and into the burning sun to meet the visitor halfway.

Nate couldn't help but smile. He picked up his pace and approached the mother. It did not take long before they stood face-to-face again. They did keep a respectful distance of about four yards, and Nate dared not come closer.

"Hey, Amaya." He'd forgotten how much he had wanted to see her again. When he looked at her, it was no unfamiliar sight. He already had seen her in her old age, in 1992, and the only difference was age. There were fewer wrinkles on her face and she did not need a cane to walk around, her back straightened and proud. She was still a protector of Zambesi and you could see it.

"Nathaniel." Amaya ran her eyes over him. "You've changed." While she had grown old in Zambesi, Nate had grown old in Star City, and later in Hub City. He'd grown a short beard and here and there, some gray hairs pushed through. He wore a pair of glasses and sported some wrinkles as well.

Nate had no response ready. He merely nodded and let her lead the conversation.

"Why are you here?" Though she was delighted to see him, she couldn't help but worry, mostly about his reasons for coming.

He briefly considered responding with a question but stopped himself before it could escape his mouth. It was best if he got this part of his journey over with as soon as he possibly could.

"I've been thinking," he said. He'd practiced this moment for a long time, but it was never easy. The moment had arrived, and he promptly forgot what he had prepared. Instead, he talked. "We never really could grow old together. It just wouldn't be possible, you know, different times and all, but maybe… maybe we could be old together. If you want to."

He had also anticipated her reaction. Her initial smile disappeared. "I have a family."

"I know," Nate quickly said. "And I don't mean to intrude or shake things up or make it even more complicated. I just… how are you holding up?"

"Things are going well in the village," Amaya answered. "We are still mourning."

Nate dropped his smile, too. "Losing a loved one is never easy." He glanced at the ground. This simple sentence brought him back to a simpler time, when the thought of retiring to Zambesi hadn't even crossed his mind. "I'm sorry for your loss. I wish I could've met him."

When he looked up at her eyes, their gazes locked. He couldn't help but stare – it's been too long.

"You lost someone, too," Amaya said. Nate couldn't deny this. He placed his hands in his pockets.

"I wouldn't have come if I had someone to return to." He turned his head to the left, where the village was located. "At least you have Esi. And the village. I don't have anyone."

The image wasn't easy to get rid of. If Nate wasn't careful, he would see it everywhere, especially in his recurring nightmares. He pictured his wife and son, trapped inside the burning apartment building. Nate wasn't there – he was out of town for his job and he learned what was going on through breaking news. They did not make it out of the fire. His son would've been twenty-two today and in every scenario, he became a great person.

Nate had refused to mourn – after all, time travel existed. He held onto the possibility of the Legends saving them. But they did not come and though he was tempted to save them himself, he knew their lives could impact the future in many ways, even bad ones. Six months later, Nate couldn't hold it in anymore and he broke down in tears.

"You have the Legends." Amaya smiled sympathetically and Nate shrugged.

"Yeah, it's not easy meeting up when everyone ages differently." He remembered Ray insisting he wanted to be dropped off in 2016 when he was done. Nate would pick up his life again in 2027. The next time they met each other, Ray had lived another eleven years, while it had been seven days from Nate's perspective. The current Legends were too busy to even stop by every once in a while. The things time travel can mess up…

No. He had not come all this way to contemplate where it all went wrong or to make Amaya feel sorry for him. Nate took a step closer towards her.

"I'd like to stay here if you'll allow it," Nate said. "I've studied your culture, I won't be intrusive, I'll adapt eventually. Don't worry about 1992. I'll hide or go camping outside the village for a couple of days. Our past selves won't see old me."

Amaya stared at him cautiously. "You need to think this through."

"How about two years?" Nate responded. He took off his backpack and took out a small walkie-talkie. The other one remained in the backpack. He handed it to her and she hesitantly took it.

"Since this will also change your life drastically, it seems fair you get to have a say in this, too, without having to make a rushed decision."

"What are you-?"

"When you've made your decision, contact me. If you say no, I'll get the Waverider's attention and leave. Take as much time as you need, I'll wait over there." Nate pointed behind him, at an unspecified sheltered space on the plains. He'd find a good spot somewhere.

"Nathaniel," Amaya handed the device back to him. "I won't need this."

Nate glanced at it and back to Amaya. "Alright," he said, his shoulders slumping. "Em… I guess this is farewell, then… again."

Amaya shook her head. Nate always did have a tendency to jump to conclusions. "I want you to stay."

Nate's face lit up. "Really?"

Amaya smiled warmly at him. "You have always been welcome here."

He smiled, content. "Thank you so much."

They embraced each other. It lasted long since they hadn't been able to hold each other for such a long time. They weren't ready for any other kind of intimacy, and they never would be, but a warm embrace already comforted them more than a thousand words could. Perhaps this was what they needed all along.

Together, they walked back to the village. Nate was introduced as an old friend of Amaya's and an ally. He was to stay at Amaya's house. His backpack, containing some future tech, was buried at an unspecified place within the village. There were rumors about them, but those were quickly shot down.

Amaya and Nate spent the remainders of their lives together, with the exception of those days in 1992 when the Legends saved the village but unleashed Mallus.

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 **Since the main story I'm working on is a bit dark, I thought I'd write something lighter. I think I pulled it off. Anyway, let me know what you thought of it. See you next time, in another story. Bye! Have a good day!**

 **-Writer207**


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